Geobank Product Strategy Manager, Mark Gabbitus, reflects on his week at the Tenth International Mining Geology Conference in Hobart and shared his thoughts on what the future of mine geology looks like.
Last week, David Bartlett (Micromine Operations Manager), Ryan Silvester (Global Marketing Executive) and I travelled to Hobart, Tasmania for the tenth edition of the world renowned International Mining Geology Conference hosted by the AusIMM.
This was my fourth time to the conference and as usual, it was an excellent event to attend with great talks on all manner of subjects around mine geology. The theme this year was ‘Setting New Standards’ and there were plenty of discussions about how the industry could improve its methodologies and professionalism to adapt to the changing needs of the market.
But before we got to the conference, we had to get to Hobart. Hobart is the capital of Tasmania which is an island (often called the Apple Isle) south of Victoria. To get there from Perth requires a flight to Melbourne first then transfer to another plane for the leg south. Leaving Perth in beautiful spring weather and arriving to a very windy and cold Hobart airport was a bit of a shock but fortunately I had packed some warm clothes.
We came a day early so that we had some time to look around the town and to give us time to set up the booth. This was great as none of us had ever been to Hobart before so the next morning we went for a look see. Hobart is famous for its port, which is the destination of the world-famous Sydney to Hobart yacht race, but is also the home of the Aurora Australis which is a research vessel that spends the summer in the Antarctic region.
It was cold and there was even some sleet as we walked around. In fact, it was so cold that a dusting of snow had fallen on the nearby Mt Wellington that night.
We also took the opportunity to visit the Maritime Museum and to learn more about the incredible maritime history in Tasmania. That afternoon thoughts turned to the conference and we had our first look at the venue and the booth (our home for the next few days). A few hours were spent getting things setup and making sure that everything was working. I reckon it looked pretty good.
Wednesday was day one of the conference and after a quick breakfast we walked to the conference venue and got ready for some mine geology action. For me, this is one of my favourite conferences on the calendar. Just about everyone there is a geologist and it’s great to be able to catch up with old buddies and learn more about what is going on in the industry. We were into it straight away with a number of people stopping by the booth to find out more about Geobank Mobile, Geobank and Micromine. Dave and I were kept busy during the breaks but managed to sneak away from the booth to watch the technical presentations which were of high quality as always. The standouts for me were a talk about ‘Reconciliation’ by Craig Morley and Heath Arvidson and one on ‘Geological Inputs into Blasting’ by Trevor Little, both subjects that I have a soft spot for.
Day one always concludes with a few social drinks in the exposition area and that was a great way to unwind and chat to some old colleagues and mates. I always try and touch base with some of the other vendors as well and after the conference drinks a few of us headed out into Hobart for dinner and a friendly METS challenge pool game. I’m pretty sure team MICROMINE dominated 😊.
Day two followed a similar trend and was, if anything, even busier. I really enjoyed a talk by my old mate Dale Sims on ‘Combining RC and Diamond Data’. Some of the conclusions in this case study got people talking in the break afterward. Steve Walters from CRCORE always speaks well and his talk on ‘Grade Engineering’ was very interesting.
That night was the traditional conference dinner and so after a quick change into our suits, we headed off to Bellerive Oval, the home of cricket in Tasmania. Two of the greatest cricketers ever hail from the Apple Isle. Ricky Ponting was one of the greatest batsmen ever and a very successful captain of the Australian side but the other legend is probably more revered in Australia. David Boon (Boonie) was famous for his batting, catching and his off-field records (Google it!) and I managed to (sort of) have a beer with him.
The dinner was really good fun. The food was great and they had a local comedian who got us all laughing. It was another chance to catch up with old mates and talk about all things geological.
Friday was the last day of the conference and whilst it was a slow start with a few coffees needed for some people, it looked like the vast majority of the 300 delegates were there by the first break. The day was opened with a very entertaining talk by Daniel Howe from Saracen Minerals. He asked some searching questions about geology and how we are losing some of our essential skills of observation. It’s possible he stirred the pot a bit but I don’t think he said anything that most people who have been in the industry for a while hadn’t been thinking about. Advanced technology is great and essential to improvements in the industry but we need to remember that it’s just a tool and nothing can replace good geology.
After a few more conversations it was time to pack up, say goodbye to friends (old and new) and head to the airport for the long trip home. As always happens, the weather as we were leaving turned out glorious and we were able to get some lovely photos of the harbour before we jumped in a taxi. As we travelled to the airport and home on the plane, I was able to reflect on the conference some more and the more I thought about the talks and chats I had, I am more convinced than ever that no matter how smart systems get or how many sensors you have, there is still a need for good geologists and good geological observation and reasoning.
Read our news story about the event in Hobart.
